How to Conduct Tipping Precautions Overseas

How to Conduct Tipping Precautions in the Philippines

A heavy travel bag digging into my left shoulder and my digital camera wrapped around my right wrist, it took some concentration to avoid losing balance on the wooden plank and fall into the chilly waters below. The blue and white wooden banca with twin outriggers swayed up and and down as the waves collided into the launch landing. With my family safely on shore, I swiftly handed our boat handler a 200 PS (approximately $5.00 US) bill to split between him and his co-worker. He replies with a gracious thank you and a smile that let me know he was happy with the gratuity. ​

With Philippines boasting 7107 islands, boating is a major source of transportation next to taxis and domestic charter airplanes. For locals that operate the boats and assist tourists with their luggage, they are eager but grateful to receive tip for their services. It is common for a group of 4-5 locals to swarm around you even though only 1-2 are needed to transport luggage to and from the boat. Generally, helpers are extremely friendly and courteous but there are those that do no attend to your belongings and still ask you to tip and claim they have helped you. Although it is difficult not to help the locals when they ask, it is important to consider the vast amount of people to tip while you are traveling throughout within the country. From airport luggage/wheelchair helpers, to taxi drivers, to boating assistance, it could easily lead to an empty pocket. What is considered ample tipping is 20-100 Php per person (approximately $0.50-$3.00 US) depending on the number of luggage.

Follow these tips to avoid burning a hole in your pocket and your travel time:

• Keep an eye on who exactly handles your luggage so there is no confusion as to tipping the right individuals
• If there are more than one helper, tip them separately to ensure everyone gets their share
• Keep small bills and coins in easy-to-find pockets to avoid precious time wasted​
• If someone insists on helping you when you already have assistance, don’t be afraid to say no

Tipper Beware:​

If you are not of filipino descent, many locals may expect a heftier tip. Dont let that discourage you, if you are a natural negotiator, that would be the time to put it to use. Otherwise, dont fret, stand ground on what you really want to give them, helpers do not mean any harm. If in doubt, just smile and say “Salamat” which means thank you! That will at least give you a smile in return. Lastly, don't forget to have fun!